“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:9-11)
Paul wrote these words of Thanksgiving and encouragement to the church in Philippi. They remind us at this Advent that the Lord Jesus calls us to remain faithful to the gospel against the lies of our modern culture.
The believers at Philippi serve as an example to us. They had given Paul much support while He was in prison. These faithful brethren embraced the truth of the gospel he had preached to them. They were living in the light of that truth while resisting and exposing the lies of false teachers. Paul prayed that the Lord would continue to sanctify them so that they would grow in faith. Their growth encouraged and enabled him to continue his ministry despite the obstacles and suffering he faced due to his imprisonment.
Paul’s words served to encourage us as well to remain steadfast in righteousness and to grow in faith. They encourage us even in our own world which is quite like the first century Roman Empire, filled with hatred, violence, and a host of false religions and humanistic philosophies that compete for our the hearts and minds of those our fellow human beings. Yet we see the wicked prosper. We see worldly and politically correct ideologies infiltrating the Church and compromising her Biblical calling and message. We face obstacles and problems that seem to hinder the work of the ministry. These all tend to get us upset and aggravated and give us a desire to respond in kind.
Rather than respond in this way, Paul encourages us to see these tribulations as opportunities to spread the gospel while living a life pleasing to God. We can do so with the resources, strength and wisdom imparted to us by the indwelling Holy Spirit. With God’s help our trials and suffering become opportunities to spread the truth of the gospel of faith in Jesus.